Here's an article all about it.
http://danceswithwool.wordpress.com/2008/09/18/knitting-with-pet-hair/

Jan in CA

09-18-2008, 01:35 PM

I just took a little of my cat fur in to knit night and one of the women who spins said it would work great! I think it depends on the cats fur as well. Some of the long straight hair might not work as well as a cat with 'fluffy' fur and a thick soft undercoat. I have a Ragdoll so her fur would make a soft yarn with a lovely halo. :teehee:

KnittinMitchie

09-18-2008, 02:29 PM

I've got some chocolate lab from my mom's 2 dogs and I need to get it spun up so we can use it for tie offs in her quilt that our friend Toni made for mom.

Plantgoddess+

09-18-2008, 02:34 PM

When I worked for a veterinarian about 20 years ago, we had a regular customer who came in for bathing every month. His owner harvested his hair for spinning. I believe it was an Alsatian, but I could be misremembering. I do know he was huge and had long white hair.

bambi

09-18-2008, 05:47 PM

Ah, ah, ah......ACHOOO!!!!! :roflhard:

Bambi

JustAFloridaGirl

09-18-2008, 06:07 PM

I've accidentally knitted with my dog's hair. He sheds everywhere and sometimes there's a hair or two on my yarn, which I then have to pull out of my stitches. ;)

saracidaltendencies

09-18-2008, 09:54 PM

Wow! Between 6 cats (including a Birman and Himalayan) and 2 dogs, I may never have to buy yarn again! :teehee:

laikabear

09-19-2008, 12:13 AM

I sent off some of Laika's hair to be spun (she's my Husky/ Chow mix). www.vipfibers.com. I'm waiting (not very patiently) to get the yarn back. :tap:

:mrgreen:

Don't worry, I'll be letting everyone know what it looks like when it finally gets here!!!

Debkcs

09-19-2008, 04:42 AM

My Maddie is dead ringer for a Norwegian Buhund, but because she was a 'road find' we don't really know what she is. We do know that she's 13 y.o. now and 'failing', so we've got a big bag of her hair that we'll be sending in for spinning. All I want is a skein of her hair. She's double coated, so that's not too much of a problem.

The fact that they can clean it, and get rid of the dander makes me feel good because it will last longer that way.

GinnyG

09-19-2008, 05:20 AM

I am on an Old English Sheepdog forum (I have an OES) and several memeber have had their sheepdog hair spun. The problem is it takes ALOT of hair and the hair needs to be fairly long in length. I clip my sheepie so the "harvested" hair is never longer than a few inches so it wouldn't spin well.

One member had their show dog clipped from full coat to a ouooy cut when she had achieved her champion and sent it to spin. The resulting fiber was enought to make a scarf, so it does take a fairly large quantity. Some will take what you send and mix it with wool so that you will have more yarn.

The spinners are also VERY slow, it can take 6 months or longer to get your fiber back. I suppose that is because there aren't alot of people spinning animal hair:roflhard:

vaknitter

09-19-2008, 12:40 PM

I was joking with my mom about this while I was home and brushing mounds of fur off our shephard. Not to sound stupid, but doesn't it get kinda stinky when it gets wet?

Karina

09-19-2008, 02:06 PM

I have an Alaskan Malamute and have been looking into spinning with his hair. Supposedly once it is washed you will never know that it came from a dog. anything made from dog fur is supposedly extremely warm so they don't recommend that you knit a whole sweater out of it, because it would be to warm to wear. unless you live in Alaska or Siberia.

I am going to look at a spinning wheel for sale on Tuesday and if i do decide to learn to spin I will probably mix my dogs hair with wool.

KnittinMitchie

09-19-2008, 02:10 PM

I spin dog hair and you can spin ANY breed. If you check out VIP Fiber's Main pager you will find a list of what they have spun. I believe they have even spun wolf.

ArtLady1981

09-19-2008, 08:45 PM

First, let me confess...I haven't read all the subsequent posts...but did you see the lady (on tv) who knit an entire skirted suit using her own hair? Like, she saved her own hairs for 20-something odd years...spun them into yarn...and knit a skirt and jacket!

She gathered the hairs from her hair brush, and any loose hairs she found around the house from natural 'shed'.

She seems to be a good knitter. The suit is a perfect fit on her slender frame.

The gathering of hairs for over 20 years is rather eccentric...but ya gotta hand it to her for 'stick-to-it-iveness' and 'passion'!

Sarahc409

09-25-2008, 11:37 AM

I'm so glad to see this post because now I know I'm not crazy. I rescued an American Eskimo dog almost two years ago and this dog has the most luxurious thick white coat you could ever see. We say he is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He is big shedder and I often joke that I am going to make him work for his living by knitting with his fur. Hubby already started saving all the hair he brushes off him but I don't think we have enough for a hat yet. People think I'm crazy when they hear I want to do this. I cannot wait to proudly wear a hat made with his fur. Now, if I can only figure out how to spin it into balls of yarn...:think:

Sarah

KnittinMitchie

09-25-2008, 06:46 PM

I'm so glad to see this post because now I know I'm not crazy. I rescued an American Eskimo dog almost two years ago and this dog has the most luxurious thick white coat you could ever see. We say he is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He is big shedder and I often joke that I am going to make him work for his living by knitting with his fur. Hubby already started saving all the hair he brushes off him but I don't think we have enough for a hat yet. People think I'm crazy when they hear I want to do this. I cannot wait to proudly wear a hat made with his fur. Now, if I can only figure out how to spin it into balls of yarn...:think:

Sarah

That is where I come in :) I've got some dog fiber that I am prepping to spin. I've got chocolate Lab and some short white dog hair. The gal didn't tell me the breed of her little doggy.

Duessa

09-25-2008, 09:24 PM

I believe it was an Alsatian, but I could be misremembering. I do know he was huge and had long white hair.

Alsatian is another name for German Shepard. It was so called that during wwII and after because of anti-german sentiments. No one wanted the dog to be connected to that.

If he had long white hair her couldn't have been an alsatian.

MsBehavin

09-26-2008, 02:25 AM

Wow! Between 6 cats (including a Birman and Himalayan) and 2 dogs, I may never have to buy yarn again! :teehee:

LOL, Hey Demonica... what colors do you have maybe we could share... I have 6 chihuahuas, a rottweiler a golden retriever chow mix, and a cat....:?? I never really got into the weaving my own yarn though... but with so many babies in my house... I get quite a unique finished project~ Do you think that is how eyelash yarn came about??

Karina

09-26-2008, 02:50 AM

There is a white Alsatian dog, had to look that up. My neighbour has a black long hair Alsatian and she is a beauty.

Debkcs

09-26-2008, 02:56 AM

I can't figure out why VIP fiber takes so long, they use an electric spinning wheel, and apparently there is more than one person spinning.

I need to call them, I have 16 ounces and wonder if that is enough for a skein of Buhund.

(<<<<That is not her picture.)

Karina

09-26-2008, 03:01 AM

If you spin the pet hair how much percentage wise would you loose? 16oz sounds like a lot of fur.

Firey Vixxen

09-26-2008, 04:34 AM

Alsatian is another name for German Shepard. It was so called that during wwII and after because of anti-german sentiments. No one wanted the dog to be connected to that.

If he had long white hair her couldn't have been an alsatian.

There is such a thing as a white German shepherd, although some people try to promote it as a separate breed. They are not as well known as until recently they were completely unrecognised by any Canine organisation and were all considered "mutts." as such they often got a permanent visit to a bucket (some breeders still kill white pups believing they are defective). Now some clubs recognise White shepherds, while others only allow them on the closed register.
German Sheps can also "legally" have a double coat or long hair.
Random bits of useless information for you.

I want to try Heeler hair. I reckon it'd work well
FV

Sarahc409

10-01-2008, 10:57 AM

Alsatian is another name for German Shepard. It was so called that during wwII and after because of anti-german sentiments. No one wanted the dog to be connected to that.

If he had long white hair her couldn't have been an alsatian.

Funny that you say that, my dog was also known at a German Eskimo and the name was changed to American Eskimo during WWII for the same reason.

Sarah

KnittinMitchie

10-01-2008, 03:25 PM

If you spin the pet hair how much percentage wise would you loose? 16oz sounds like a lot of fur.

You can have up to a 17% loss of fiber depending on the type and coarseness of the hair. the more under coat you have the less you will loose. I called VIP Fibers and spoke to the owner who is the only person prepping and spinning the fiber. So if you want them to do it you have a 16 week wait.